Dispensing spout built in a carton box

ABSTRACT

There is provided a dispensing spout in a carton box adapted to accomodate powdery materials like detergents which is simple in construction and easy not only to open by pushing with the finger but also to keep closed after it has been cut out.

United States Patent [1 1 Araki [4 1 July 15, 1975 DISPENSING SPOUTBUILT IN A CARTON BOX [75] Inventor: Shinichi Araki, Funabashi, Japan[73] Assignee: Lion Fat & Oil Co., Ltd., Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: Mar. 1, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 337,199

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 3, 1972 Japan 47-26804 [52]US. Cl. 229/17 R; 229/51 D; 229/51 TC [51] Int. Cl. B65d 5/72 [58] Fieldof Search 229/17 R, 51 TS, 51 TC,

229/51 SC, 51 D [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,4l7,5503/1947 Guyer 229/17 R 2,449,046 9/1948 Bornes 3,387,763 6/1968 Koolnis3,520,465 7/1970 Spiering 229/17 B Primary Examiner-Edward J. McCarthyAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Milton Osheroff [57] ABSTRACT There is provideda dispensing spout in a carton box adapted to accomodate powderymaterials like detergents which is simple in construction and easy notonly to open by pushing with the finger but also to keep closed after ithas been cut out.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures DISPENSING SPOUT BUILT IN A CARTON BOXBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a dispensing spoutbuilt in a carton box, and more particularly to a dispensing spout in acarton box used as a detergent container or the like which can easily becut out to open with the finger in a simple way.

Conventional carton boxes for accomodating detergents or the like havethe disadvantages that it is necessary to seal the dispensing spouts soas to prevent the contents therein from being moistened once they havebeen opened by cutting out and that if the spout portions are perforatedso deeply as to be easily cut off by pushing, there is a possibility ofthe perforated portions getting broken by shock. On the contrary,dispensing spouts defined by shallowly perforated lines to prevent theabove-mentioned shortcoming are very hard to cut out by pushing with thefinger, often hurting womens finger nails which have calisthenicallybeen let grow long, since such shallowly perforated spouts requirerather a strong pushing force to open. Further, most of the conventionaldispensing spouts, once cut out, have been made to be left open as theyare, thus resulting in the several disadvantages that the contents nearthe spouts are apt to be moistened, causing coagulation or deteriorationof the contents such as detergents or the like and that if one lets abox fall by mistake, the contents will easily run out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide adispensing spout built in a carton box for accomodating powderymaterials like detergents which is simple in construction and easy toopen by pushing with the finger.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing spout for acarton box which serves as an easyto-open and close lid, therebythoroughly being free from the disadvantages as seen in conventionaldispensing spouts which are impossible to keep closed after they havebeen cut out; that is, moisture enters through the open spout into thecontents to coagulate or deteriorate them or the contents easily run outthrough the open spout if one drops a box on the ground or floor bymistake.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings show apreferred embodiment of this invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is an unfolded view of a carton box formed with a dispensingspout according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the box of FIG. 1 in a completedstate. and

FIG. 3a and FIG. 3b are sectional views showing the portions of thefolding flap of the dispensing spout under opened and closed conditionsrespectively.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top elevation of the box of FIG. 2, partlybroken away.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION First referring to FIG. 1, from aside wall ofa carton box as a whole indicated at 1 extends a rectangularupper flap 12 which is to form the top surface of the completed cartonbox. From either of the shorter sides of the upper flap 12 continuouslyextend two perforated break lines 2 of a given length parallel with eachother and terminating in appropriate places according to the requiredsize of the spout, and between the two points on the surface of saidupper flap 12 in which the break lines 2 terminate respectively there isa compressed score line 3 parallel with the shorter sides of the upperflap 12.

14 is a lower flap which is to be laid under the upper flap 12 when thebox is completed, and also on this lower fiap 14 are formed continuousbreak lines 2a in the same manner as the break lines 2. However, thesebreak lines 2a are positioned so as to be slightly out of alignment withthe break lines 2 outwardly or inwardly with respect to the longer sidesof the fiap 12 or transversely when overlapped with each other, thuspreventing moisture from penetrating into the interior of the boxthrough the supposed gaps of the overlapped break lines.

Another compressed score line is formed on the surface of the lower flap14 in the same manner as the like line 3.

A deeply perforated cutting line 4 which is easy to cut is formed in asemi-circle on a rectangular side wall 11 positioned between the upperand lower flaps l2 and 14 of the carton box I and adjacent the side wall10. As seen in FIG. I, this cutting line 4 extends from a point on thetop edge of the side wall 11 and terminates in another different pointon the same top edge.

The break lines 2 and 2a on the upper and lower flaps 12 and 14 areoverlapped with each other so as to have their extending points on theside edges of the flaps l2 and 14 correspond to the extending andterminating points of the cutting line 4, thus facilitating opening ofthe dispensing spout by pushing with the finger. Above this cutting line4 a folding flap 13 is provided adjacent the side wall 11, integraltherewith, and extending between the upper and lower flaps 12 and 14,which comprises three folded portions; ie, a first portion 13a having alength a little greater than the width between the middle point of thesemi-circular cutting line 4 and the top edge of the side wall 11 so asto have its tip disposed below said middle point when the flap 13 isfolded at said top edge and overlapped with the side wall 11, a secondportion 13b overlapped with said first portion 13a having the samelength as that of said first portion 13a, and a third portion 13cnaturally having a length corresponding to the remainder of the overalllength of the folding flap 13 obtained after deducting the combinedlength of said first and second portions 13a and 1312. This folding flap13 is folded in such a manner as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b); it isinwardly folded along the top edge of the side wall 11 by a length alittle greater than the distance between the top edge of the side wall11 and the lowermost point of the cutting line 4, thus forming the firstportion 13a, then at the tip of said first portion 13a it is reversed ina direction opposite to the folding direction of the first portion 13aby the same length therewith to form the second portion 13b, and theremainder of the folding flap 13 not folded so far is overlapped withthe underside of the lower flap l4 and bonded thereto by adhesive toform the third portion 130. During this process, bonding is made byadhesive between the first portion and a semicircular portion 4a definedby the cutting line 4 and between the first portion ll3a and the secondportion 13b respectively. As described above, since the length of thefirst portion 13a is a little greater than the distance between the topedge of the side wall 11 and the lowermost point of the cutting line 4,the common tip of the first and second portions 13a and 13b is disposeda little below the lowermost edge of the cutting line 4 so that said tiphits against the inside of the semi-circular portion 40 when thecontents in the box outwardly press against the first portion 13a in theease of the box falling down, thus preventing the contents from runningout of the box.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispensing spout of the completedcarton box, referring to which drawing description will be made on howto open the dispensing spout. First, push inwardly with the finger thesemi-circular portion 4a defined by the large and deeply perforatedcutting line 4. As a result, the semicircular portion 4a integral byadhesive with the folding flap l3 and with the side wall 11 will be cutoff and pushed into the inside of the box together with the folding flap13, thus forming a hole which has a size large enough for a finger toenter. (Incidentally, the first portion 13a is bonded to the side wall11 by adhesive at a small contact area other than the area betweenitself and the semi-circular portion 4a, but the portion 13a is easilydetachable from said small contact area when pushed with finger finger.)Next, lift up the semicircular portion 4a and the folding flap 13together with the upper and lower flaps l2 and 14, and then the upperand lower flaps 12 and 14 and the folding flap 13 bonded together willbe cut out to the score line 3 along the continuous break lines 2 and2a, and thus the spout will be opened. This spout is able to serve as alid as well, in the following manner; as shown in FIG. 3(1)), the tip ofthe folded folding flap 13 comprising part of the first and secondportions 13a and 13b is adapted to serve as an insertion tip to keep thelid closed with the cooperation of the semi-eircular portion 4a. Thus,by virtue of the peculiar construction of the lid as abovementioned, thecontents such as detergents in the carton box are always free from thedeterioration thereof to be caused by entry of moisture into theinterior of the carton box.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that this invention is able tocompletely eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages possessed by theconventional types of dispensing spouts and provides a very convenientdispens- Now that an embodiment of this invention has been described indetail. it will be clear that any modifiea tions thereof will be obviousto those skilled in the art. except as they appear in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed'is:

l. A dispensing spout built in a carton box comprisa spout portionformed in a first side wall of said carton box and defined by a deeplyperforated cutting line extending from a point on a top edge of saidfirst side wall and terminating in another different point on the sameedge;

a first flap extending integrally from said top edge of said first sidewall;

second and third flaps extending integrally from top edges of second andthird side walls disposed adjacent said first side wall at opposed sidesthereof. and being overlapped with each other;

said first flap having a first portion defined by inwardly folding saidfirst flap at the top edge of said first side wall by a length a littlegreater than the distance between said top edge of said first side walland the lowermost point of said cutting line. said first portionoverlapping and being adhered to the reverse side of said portion ofsaid first side wall defined by said cutting line, a second portiondefined by reversely folding said first flap at the tip of said firstportion in a direction opposite to the folding direction of said firstportion by a length the same as that of said first portion, said secondportion overlapping and being adhered to said first portion, and a thirdportion extending from said second portion, said third portion beingfolded into overlapping relation with, and adhered to, said overlappedfirst and second flaps.

2. The dispensing spout as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

two continuous break lines of a given length formed on each said secondand third flaps, extending parallel with each other from side edges ofthe second and third flaps facing said first flap, said break linesbeing overlapped slightly transversely out of alignment with each other,but with extending points thereof on said side edges positionallycorresponding to extending and terminating points of said cutting lineon said top edge of the first side wall respectively.

1. A dispensing spout built in a carton box comprising: a spout portionformed in a first side wall of said carton box and defined by a deeplyperforated cutting line extending from a point on a top edge of saidfirst side wall and terminating in another different point on the sameedge; a first flap extending integrally from said top edge of said firstside wall; second and third flaps extending integrally from top edges ofsecond and third side walls disposed adjacent said first side wall atopposed sides thereof, and being overlapped with each other; said firstflap having a first portion defined by inwardly folding said first flapat the top edge of said first side wall by a length a little greaterthan the distance between said top edge of said first side wall and thelowermost point of said cutting line, said first portion overlapping andbeing adhered to the reverse side of said portion of said first sidewall defined by said cutting line, a second portion defined by reverselyfolding said first flap at the tip of said first portion in a directionopposite to the folding direction of said first portion by a length thesame as that of said first portion, said second portion overlapping andbeing adhered to said first portion, and a third portion extending fromsaid second portion, said third portion being folded into overlappingrelation with, and adhered to, said overlapped first and second flaps.2. The dispensing spout as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: twocontinuous break lines of a given length formed on each said second andthird flaps, extending parallel with each other from sidE edges of thesecond and third flaps facing said first flap, said break lines beingoverlapped slightly transversely out of alignment with each other, butwith extending points thereof on said side edges positionallycorresponding to extending and terminating points of said cutting lineon said top edge of the first side wall respectively.